The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”, in honour of it being 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale.
Through the year, CHEO will be featuring some of our amazing nurses and nurse practitioners. Learn more about who they are, what they do and what makes them unique and passionate about their work.
Meet some of our nurses
Ron Merkley
RN, Care Facilitator, 6 North, EDP
Number of years nursing: 20
Number of years at CHEO: 20
What made you choose nursing?
Towards the end of high school I needed to make a decision on what to do next. I had always had an interest in science and also had a heart for helping others. That, combined with being raised by a proud, hardworking full time nurse (my mother), made Nursing seem like a great fit. What is your best nursing-related memory?
After so many years, I find it hard to think of one specific highlight. I have many. Of late, I can say that a regular occurrence that I really enjoy as I work with eating disorder patients is being able to sit and talk- either in a meal, a talk time or playing a game, and building a strong therapeutic relationships with them. I believe this is so crucial to creating a foundation of trust between patient and care provider. What does being a nurse mean to you?
It may sounds a bit cliché but to me being a nurse is more of a calling than a job. I have been working in Child & Adolescent Mental Health my entire career and I really don’t think I could do this kind of work for so long if I wasn’t passionate about it. I do not take lightly the fact that I have the privilege of working with youth and families who are struggling with significant mental health conditions and get to be a part of their story as they work towards recovery. We see youth and their families in often very difficult circumstances and I find it both rewarding and humbling to come alongside them and support them in their time of need. I often think about them long after they leave and consider it a great privilege to have done whatever I could to bring them to a place of health.
Stephanie Simms
RN, CNeoN(C), NICU
Number of years nursing: 3
Number of years at CHEO: 3
What made you choose nursing?
I actually didn’t realize I was headed towards a career in nursing until it came time to choose my university programs in high school. Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to be in a career that allowed me to meaningfully help others and make me proud to tell people what I do; nursing felt like that perfect fit. As for becoming a NICU nurse, I feel like that was a calling that found me rather than me finding it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. What is your best nursing-related memory?
My favourite nursing-related memory was with a first time mom that had a difficult delivery. She was visiting her baby while still being admitted to the hospital while she recovered. Her baby had a breathing tube in and was very sick but my colleagues and I managed to move him onto her chest for skin-to-skin time. I will never forget the tears that she cried and look on her face while holding her son for the first time. It meant so much to be a small part of that experience. What does being a nurse mean to you?
Nursing means a lot more than what I’m able to describe. It is an art and intuition that you can only gain through experience. It is relentless compassion and empathy, especially when doing so is difficult. It is giving voice to those that can’t speak and sharing silence when there aren’t words. It a lot of sacrifice, with exponential reward (especially with our population here at CHEO!)
Kristine Tookenay
RN, Care Facilitator, Inpatient Surgery
Number of years nursing: 16
Number of years at CHEO: 16
What made you choose nursing?
I knew I wanted to work in an environment that allowed me to never get bored in the routine of day to day. In nursing everyday is a new adventure. Constantly meeting new tiny faces and the families that care for them. I also knew that I wanted to work in a profession that is fueled by team work. There are not many careers that bond you like nursing. Especially pediatrics. Working side by side with colleagues that know exactly the ups and downs of your day and are there to celebrate with you or hug you at the end of your shift is something that not many can relate to. I wanted to make a real difference in the lives of families. There’s nothing that builds you up more than being trusted with the most precious things in someone’s life. There’s no feeling like it. What is your best nursing-related memory?
My best nursing-related memory was one day I was admitting a post op and I was going through the normal routine of vitals, assessments, teaching and tours when the patient’s Mother looked at me and said “You must be such a wonderful Mother”. I knew at that moment that if I could make this family feel as though I was caring for them as if they were my own that I was doing the job that I was meant to do. What does being a nurse mean to you?
Being a nurse to me means being trusted to care for people at their most vulnerable.